Fairleigh Dickinson University

What you'll study

This master's emphasises close engagement with primary sources and cultural interpretation across the medieval and early modern periods. Core emphases include historiography and research methods; palaeography and manuscript studies; the cultural history of religion, ritual and devotion; material and visual culture; print culture and the history of ideas; and urban, social and economic contexts for cultural change.

• Historiography and Research Methods: advanced methods in source criticism, archival research, and theoretical approaches to cultural history.
• Palaeography and Languages: training in reading medieval and early modern manuscripts and guided improvement of Latin and modern European languages as appropriate to research topics.
• Medieval Cultural Topics: subjects such as monasticism, court culture, pilgrimage, and manuscript production.
• Early Modern Cultural Topics: subjects including the Reformation and confessional cultures, the rise of print and literacy, ritual and festival, and the visual arts.
• Material and Visual Culture: methods for analysing objects, architecture, and images as historical evidence.
• Capstone / Thesis: a substantial supervised research project or thesis that develops original analysis of primary sources in the field.

Entry requirements

Applicants normally hold a recognised bachelor's degree with substantial study in history or a closely related humanities subject. Typical applicants present an academic transcript, a personal statement outlining research interests, two academic references, and a writing sample demonstrating ability to engage with primary and secondary sources. Proficiency in relevant languages (for example, Latin, French, German, Italian or Spanish) is desirable or may be developed during the programme; where English is not the applicant's first language, evidence of English language ability is required. Admissions may also consider professional experience in archives, museums or heritage work for applicants from non-traditional backgrounds.

Career prospects

Graduates gain skills valued across the cultural and public sectors: archival research, critical analysis, close reading of texts, language competence, and project design. Common career paths include museum and archive work, heritage management, historic preservation, cultural policy and administration, publishing and editorial roles, higher education and teaching, and research posts. Many students also use the MA as preparation for doctoral study in history or related fields.

Why study at Fairleigh Dickinson University

Fairleigh Dickinson offers small seminars and close faculty supervision that support specialised research in medieval and early modern European cultural history. Students benefit from the university's liberal arts environment, opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration across art history, religious studies and languages, and access to regional collections and cultural institutions. The university’s locations provide proximity to major libraries and museums, and the programme typically promotes internships and placement links with archives, historical societies and museums to build practical experience alongside academic training.